Any logical reason for the previous owner to have added a bolt to the bottom of the gas tank?

[tonyp25]

I noticed it awhile back and just now got around to taking a picture of it. I can’t imagine a scenario in which I’d add a bolt to the bottom of my gas tank but here it is…any idea why they did this? In what safety world would it be ok to drill into a gas tank? You’d hope it was empty when they did it.

 

[gdrill]

Fixed a leak.

 

[WileERobby]

Ballast. { a joke !!

 

[Gold Rush]

I noticed it awhile back and just now got around to taking a picture of it. I can’t imagine a scenario in which I’d add a bolt to the bottom of my gas tank but here it is…any idea why they did this? In what safety world would it be ok to drill into a gas tank? You’d hope it was empty when they did it.

View attachment 1509496

Two things come to mind. Both are not my way of doing things (just sayin') First the tank may have gotten punctured and the bolt serves as a plug. Second it might serve as a drain. That bolt might even be one of the after market automatic transmission pan drain plugs.

 

[toolmanmike]

A drain!

 

[Paul_B]

Maybe a drain if it’s at a low spot in the tank. Not sure how well that would work though in sheet metal.

 

[Rusty knuckles]

Fixed a leak. I did it once in my apartment parking lot on my pickup because it was leaking all over and I was heading 400 miles home in a day or 2 and would have much better access to tools there. So, found a screw, cut a little flap of rubber off one of the positive battery post covers, screwed it in and drove it home. Held fine.

 

[WileERobby]

Now, what do you do if you have a leaky drain, huh ?

 

[khryslerkid]

"PUT THE BOLT BACK!"

 

[R413]

The shops that clean and seal tanks put a drain in them for their own use. They don’t tell the customers and then the customer is not very happy About it.

 

[Photon440]

Or perhaps someone used a hand drill to steal gasoline, and the bolt was the repair.

 

[Dave6T4]

Maybe someone used it to attach one of those grounding straps. LOL

 

[toolmanmike]

It looks like a drain plug from here. (And not a "bolt")

 

[sam dupont]

Yeah, there's a bung alright

 

[Sixpactogo]

My 60 Dart Phoenix has a factory installed drain plug. It is the only car I recall ever seeing one in. I have mentally thanked the engineer for it a few times.

 

[zyzzyx]

I put one of those Stainless Steel tanks in my "X" and was going to weld a bung in it to drain the "Swill",
but couldn't find a stainless bung in time before installation. I guess I'll drain it with a piece of nylon hose!

 

[Jc cooper]

During Resto had my Radiator shop add low point drain bung , to my new fuel tank, comes in very handy, for draining the remaining fuel from tank! Fuel has a poor shelf life , and easy to remove remainder of fuel, for storage! Works great!

 

[kiwigtx]

Ballast. { a joke !!

Attaching point for the safety wire for the Pinion Snubber.

 

[kiwigtx]

I noticed it awhile back and just now got around to taking a picture of it. I can’t imagine a scenario in which I’d add a bolt to the bottom of my gas tank but here it is…any idea why they did this? In what safety world would it be ok to drill into a gas tank? You’d hope it was empty when they did it.

View attachment 1509496

The area around the 'bolt' has been cleaned with a wheel or grinding disc. That looks like a purposeful bung like in your engine sump.
Someone did this on purpose as the bung is in the lowest point of the tank for drainage.

Leave it alone.

 

[WileERobby]

Attaching point for the safety wire for the Pinion Snubber.

Don't be silly. The only other possibility is a negative ground post for the trunk mounted battery.